Reform window closing fast as insecurity, corruption and inertia stall change: Experts

From election security and media freedom to corruption control and labour reforms, policymakers, advisers and reform leaders warned that the window for meaningful change is rapidly closing.

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The warnings were issued at the inauguration of the Bangladesh Reform Tracker, an online platform developed by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, in Dhaka today (14 December).

The platform's initial findings show that reform initiatives are progressing slowly, with only two out of 128 reform proposals reaching the action implementation stage; both implemented reforms fall under the electoral process category, while the majority remain stalled in early stages across other sectors.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), warned that election-related security risks now extend beyond voters, with politicians themselves increasingly becoming targets of violence.

Bangladesh Reform Tracker. Photo: Screengrab

Referring to recent attacks on political figures, he questioned whether the Election Commission (EC) and the government can ensure a safe and fair electoral environment. Based on pre-election dialogues conducted nationwide by the Bangladesh Reform Tracker, Debapriya said public confidence in political security remains dangerously low.

Labour and Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain admitted finding "massive corruption" in every ministry he served, describing governance as fragile and reform as an uphill battle against entrenched interests.

Similar frustration was voiced by Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed, who said not a single one of the commission's 100-plus recommendations has been implemented due to bureaucratic resistance and lack of political will.

Anti-corruption reform leaders echoed the concern, identifying political and bureaucratic power as the main barriers to change. ACC Reform Commission chief Iftekharuzzaman said most reform proposals remain stalled, while Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen warned that growing political-bureaucratic collusion now poses a serious threat to state accountability.

Veteran economist Professor Rehman Sobhan cautioned that without genuine political intent and sustained citizen pressure, reforms risk remaining confined to reports rather than transforming governance.

Security fears alarming: Debapriya

Debapriya Bhattacharya said that security risks ahead of the national election extend beyond voters, warning that politicians themselves are also increasingly feeling the pangs of the lack of security.

"In the country, not only voters are among the endangered population, but politicians are also within this danger," he said, adding that alongside concerns for religious minorities, indigenous communities and people with differing political views, the security of political leaders has emerged as a serious issue.

Referring to the recent attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency and spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, he said targeted violence against political figures has raised alarm over whether a safe electoral environment can be ensured.

Debapriya, also convenor of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, said the Reform Tracker has conducted pre-election dialogues across different regions of the country over the past one and a half months to gauge public expectations about the political situation and the upcoming polls.

Based on those discussions, a citizen manifesto is now being prepared and will be released soon, he said.

"In every place we visited, the issue of security came up very strongly. Many people are not confident that a safe and secure political environment can be ensured," he said.

Turning to the reform agenda, Debapriya said the current reform debate is rooted in Bangladesh's experience of democratic decline.

He also stressed that reforms cannot succeed through planning alone and require sustained citizen participation.

Massive corruption in every ministry: Adviser Sakhawat

Adviser M Sakhawat Hussain said he found large-scale corruption in every ministry he has served since assuming office under the interim government.

"Wherever I have gone, I have seen that ministries are subjected to massive corruption. Bringing it down even to a manageable level is extremely tough," he said.

Sakhawat said it took him a year to drive out "entrenched mafias," but new ones are already emerging.

He described the current situation as fragile, saying governing under such circumstances is highly challenging. "It is not possible to carry out all reforms according to everyone's expectations within such a short time."

The adviser also noted that those attempting reforms often face political labelling. "When you try to work, at different times you are tagged as an ally of fascism," he said.

Over 100 recommendations, not one implemented: Kamal Ahmed

Not a single proposal of the Media Reform Commission has been implemented so far, nor has the government taken any visible step to act on the recommendations, Kamal Ahmed said.

"We gave more than 100 reform recommendations, but I am sorry to say that not even one proposal has been accepted or implemented by the government," he said.

He said bureaucratic resistance and lack of political will remain the main obstacles to media reform.

According to Kamal, the commission faced repeated difficulties in collecting information from government offices despite a gazette notification that required all ministries and departments to cooperate.

He also said parts of the commission's report were blocked from publication on the grounds of confidentiality, including information related to how television licences were issued.

Kamal also criticised the government for dropping the proposed Journalism Protection Act without any clear explanation, even though the commission had prepared a draft law to support the process.

Reforms must focus on implementation: Rehman Sobhan

Professor Rehman Sobhan said that while various reform agendas, particularly on labour rights and compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards have been placed on the table, their real test will come under an elected government and the behaviour of political and business actors.

He noted that Bangladesh's history shows repeated failures of implementation rather than a lack of laws or reform proposals. 

Recalling the first caretaker government led by Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, Professor Sobhan said that despite the absence of major institutional reforms, a free and inclusive election was possible due to the integrity and good intentions of the leadership. This, he argued, highlights that reforms without genuine commitment risk becoming ineffective.

Restoring confidence in EC challenging: Commissioner Sanaullah

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said that the biggest decline in the public's confidence and trust in the EC has occurred over the last decade and a half, and restoring that is now the challenge for them.

The commissioner said that political parties are unwilling to go beyond their own self-interest, and this ideology must be abandoned for the sake of the nation. He noted that the "nomination trade" (selling of party nominations) happens secretly, but action will be taken if complaints are received. 

He added that the Representation of the People Order (RPO) has been amended, including a law to take action against loan defaulters.

Political and bureaucratic influence is biggest obstacle: Iftekharuzzaman

Stating that political and administrative power are the biggest obstacles to reform, Iftekharuzzaman said he had raised the question of who the resisting forces against reform were during the National Consensus Commission meeting, but no clear answer was received. 

Giving an example from the ACC Reform Commission's proposals, he said there is no clear information on how many of the 47 proposals submitted have actually been implemented. "As far as I know, only three have been implemented, and perhaps two of those are ongoing. The progress of most proposals remains unknown," he said.

Many recommendations not included in RPO: Badiul Alam

Badiul Alam Majumder, former Chief of the Electoral System Reform Commission, said unfortunately, many political party-related reforms are not being implemented. He stated that many of the recommendations made by the Electoral System Reform Commission were not included in the RPO.

"I am not satisfied with this reform," he said. "We missed a golden opportunity. I am raising the issue of dissatisfaction so that the opportunity that still exists can be used for reform."

Majumder, the founder-secretary of a civil society organisation Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), further added that the electoral system in Bangladesh has not changed as it should have; instead, there has been a political degradation and political rogue activity.

Bureaucrats now approach politicians: ACC chairman

ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen said that while politicians used to approach bureaucrats, the situation is now the reverse: bureaucrats are approaching politicians, submitting to them, and saying, "I am your person." 

He described this trend as a severe threat to the governance of the state.

Momen stated that the lack of clear boundaries for the responsibilities and powers of Members of Parliament creates opportunities for irregularities. "The duties of MPs must be clarified. If they are given jurisdiction over all matters, they will inevitably commit irregularities."

Criticising the change in position and role of politicians and bureaucrats, the ACC chairman said that if the neutrality of the administration is destroyed, state accountability collapses, which hinders the establishment of good governance.

Bangladesh Reform Tracker

The Reform Tracker is designed to track reform-related policies, legislative actions, institutional changes and implementation milestones, while incorporating expert analysis and citizen feedback to improve transparency and public engagement in the reform process.

The platform is monitoring reforms in four categories – anti-corruption, electoral process, labour and media – using five stages: reform proposed, reform initiated, legal and policy formulation, operationalisation, and action implementation.

Additional sectors, including the judiciary, local government, women's administration, police, education, health, human rights, power and energy, LDC graduation, data, banking and public finance, are expected to be added later.

According to the tracker, 47 reforms are being monitored in the anti-corruption category.
Of these, 24 remain at the proposal stage, and 23 are at the initiation stage. None have progressed to legal and policy formulation, operationalisation or implementation.

In the electoral process category, 31 reforms are being tracked.

Thirteen are at the proposal stage, three at initiation, eight at legal and policy formulation, five at operationalisation and two at the action implementation stage.

These are the only reforms that have reached full implementation so far.

The labour category includes 23 reforms, with 11 at the proposal stage, one at initiation and 11 at legal and policy formulation.

In the media category, 27 reforms are being tracked, of which 14 are proposed, 11 are initiated, one is at the legal and policy formulation, and one is at the operationalisation stage.

The interim government formed several reform commissions to develop proposals in different sectors and held discussions on these initiatives with political parties.

However, the tracker indicates that most reforms have yet to move beyond the initial phases.

The Reform Tracker plans to provide regular updates and publish periodic monitoring reports titled "State of Reforms" briefs to highlight progress and gaps.

It also aims to engage with key stakeholders to validate findings, strengthen accountability – particularly of the next elected government – and assess whether reforms are delivering intended benefits for citizens.

Planned additions to the website include subscription-based updates, tools for comparing progress across reform areas, improved accessibility features, and Bangla-language support to widen public access.

The Reform Tracker is managed by the CPD, which serves as the secretariat of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.